FAQ

• Frequently asked questions

What is a siezure or an attack

A seizure is a sudden surge of electrical activity
in the brain.Which suddenly affects how a
person appears or acts

Common symptoms before seizure

1. Dejavu(a feeling of being there but never have)
2. Jamais vu(a feeling of something familiar but isn't)
3. strange feelings
4. Visual loss or blurring
5. Pleasant feelings
6. Racing thoughts
7. Loss of consciousness or pass-out

Physical changes during seizure

1. Twitching or jerking movements without purpose
2. Convulsions
3. changes in skin color
4. Biting tongue
5. Sweating
6. Racing thoughts

Common symptoms after seizure

1. Confused
2. Memory loss
3. Depressed
4. Sad
5. Headache or pain
6. General weakness on one side of body

Who gets Epilepsy or seizures

• The condition is most common among kids and it develops usually in their early years
• Traumatic brain injury e.g blow to the head, fall, or gunshot wound

What triggers seizures

In adults

1. Sleep deprivation
2. Stress
3. Hunger
4. Alcohol and Drug abuse
5. Flashing lights
6. Fevers or illness
7. Specific times of the day
8. Strokes
9. Tumours

In infants

1. Seizures may be genetic
2. Brain malformations
3. Lack of oxygen during birth
4. Fever

Generally

1. Seizures may be genetic
2. Brain malformations
3. Lack of oxygen during birth
4. Fever

What are the risk factors for epilepsy

1. Babies who are born small for their age
2. Babies who have seizures in the first month of life
3. Bleeding into the brain
4. Serious brain injury or lack of oxygen to the brain
5. Brain tumors
6. Infections of the brain: abscess, meningitis or encephalitis
7. Seizures occurring within days after head injury

Will I always have seizures

Will i have to stay on seizure medicine all my life

• The longer the time a person is seizure free on medications, the better chance she has of coming off medicines.
• More than 50 out of 100 children outgrow their epilepsy. Twenty years after the diagnosis, 75 out of 100 people will have been seizure free for at least 5 years, although some may still need to take daily medication.
• People who have surgery and become seizure free may be able to come off seizure medicine. However, some people may need to stay on their medication to prevent seizures from coming back, even after surgery.

What if am still having seizures even on medication

Diagnosis might be incorrect

See Neurologist (epilepitologist)

Facts about seizures

1. You cannot swallow your tongue during a seizure. It's physically impossible.
2. Never force any object into mouth of patient during seizure
3. Epilepsy is NOT contagious. You simply can't catch epilepsy from another person
4. Any one can develop Epilepsy
5. Epileptic people can handle any kind of work like non-epileptic people, regardless of the stress involved

© 2014 epilepsy control advisor